14 DAY TRIAL // Nokia has just announced the availability of an updated flavor of its Nokia Drive application for devices running under Microsoft’s Windows Phone operating system.
The application provides users with a great turn-by-turn voice guided navigation experience while on the go, though it is available only for Lumia handsets for the time being.
As soon as Windows Phone 8 will arrive on shelves, however, things will change, as Nokia already announced. Drive will be available on other devices as well, which should help the company build momentum for its mapping service, already recognized as a leader internationally.
The newest flavor of Nokia Drive, version 3.0, brings new features to Lumia users today, so that they won’t have to wait for the Windows Phone 8 OS to arrive. One of these is My Commute, a recent post on Nokia Conversations reads.
“Nokia Drive with My Commute learns your driving preferences and uses information about the latest traffic conditions to help you choose between the different routes you usually take to get to the places you travel most,” said post explains.
“It even remembers when you usually leave, providing traffic updates along your route so you’ll know in advance whether there are delays or if you have time to stop by that new café on your way home.”
The new feature will arrive on devices only in select markets, based on the available traffic data. The first country where the feature is being launched is the United States.
Nokia Drive also brings along automatic adjustment for the Nokia Lumia display, so that users can benefit from great viewing during day or night driving conditions.
Moreover, the app also provides users with the possibility to pin to start their favorite destinations, so as to be able to access them with a single tap.
“This was one of the most requested features of Nokia Drive and we are happy to have implemented it in this update. We think this one of the best examples how to use the Windows Phone tiles: one tap on the start screen and you are all set to drive to your destination,” the aforementioned blog post continues.
The Nokia Drive application is available for the owners of Nokia Lumia 610, Nokia Lumia 710, Nokia Lumia 800 and Nokia Lumia 900 handsets. It can be found in the Windows Phone Marketplace for free (though the latest update might take a few days to emerge there).
